Handgun and holster for backpacking with family?

peripatew

peripatew

Joined
Jul 31, 2007
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It's been a while, but whenever I need good recommendations, bladeforums is where I return.

I'm planning to start taking my 6 year old son backpacking with me on some 1-2 night trips. We are going to start exploring for our "perfect spot". When possible, I'll have another adult with me.

I'm a little concerned about 2 and 4 legged creatures, I realize the possibility of me taking down a cougar with any gun is slim to none. I've come across several "drug camps" while hiking. Most of them seem to be old and abandoned, but the evidence shows it was a busy place at one point.

I'm looking for a long term survival weapon, just something to help when the SHTF. I'd like something that would balance weight with power and accuracy.

I'm prepared to spend some time at the gun range building my proficiency, and taking some handgun safety classes, but I wanted to do some research first.


Another big question I have is the best way to carry the handgun? I'll frequently be wearing my pack, but with my son I'm sure I'll be spending a lot of time without it. What are some good options for carrying and concealing the gun in the wilderness? I know we will be frequenting highly trafficked spots, and I'd like the gun to be out of site.

I'm thinking about either a Ruger SP101 or a Glock 29? But again, I'm quite inexperienced.
 
Glocks are always a good choice. Very reliable and shoot well for me. Really pretty much any quality handgun will be fine as long as you take the time to practice and learn it.

My favorite IWB holster is a Crossbreed Supertuck. It is half leather half kydex and very comfortable. I have never worn it with a pack though, so I can't comment there. I imagine the hip belt would cover it and make drawing impracticable.

Another option that would probably interfere with the pack less is a smartcarry. It's kinda like a fanny pack holster that you wear under your pants. I haven't tried one but they are supposed to be very comfortable.

I'm sure others with more experience carrying while hiking will be along shortly.
 
I've got the Ruger GP100 in .357 mag with a 4" barrel. I use it as a backup weapon for hog hunting. It is very lightweight and easy to carry. It's relatively inexpensive, reliable, and sufficiently powerful with the right loads. I think it's small enough where you could get some type of pancake holster and keep it in the small of your back. I use a triple K western style cross draw holster for it, but it might be too conspicuous for your hiking/camping trips. It makes a good "beater" gun.

I like the glock too, but would get it in .45 ACP since it's more common cartridge than .45 GAP. It would probably be sufficient for 4 legged game with 230 gr. bullets and your capacity is more. Glocks are very reliable, so I think that's a wash with the revolver. I think any type of large framed .44 mag would be impractical for your needs. My vote would be for the .357 Ruger.
 
I think the Ruger SP101 would be a good choice. The Glock 29 is a good choice, but if you're wanting to do any significant amount of practicing and you don't reload, it will be a little more expensive. The Ruger will shoot either 38's or 357 loads. You can find great deals on .38 practice loads.

With a revolver, I just get a quality leather pancake styled holster. A T-shirt will cover it pretty well and keep it concealed.

Of course, if you stepped your Glock down to a model 23 or 27, .40S&W is a little cheaper. I just find semi-autos conceal better for me.

ROCK6
 
A 4" .357 is pretty much always a good choice.

If you are mostly worried about people, a good autoloader (Glock, Sig, H&K, etc) is fine. .45ACP or 10mm being excellent choices for crossover from people to critters. 10mm is less available and more expensive, however.
 
The SP101 is a perfect choice. Small, durable, and certainly packs a punch. A lot of the Maxpedition packs have ccw in mind with velcro attachment points for holsters. I've never used one of those but they look like they'd work pretty well. I do have an SP101 however and have nothing bad to say about it.
 
You might also wish to consider how to keep your weapon secure from curious, six-year-old hands, particularly while you are asleep. If you choose to unload your gun each night, an autoloader has the advantage of being somewhat easier to reload, particularly if it must be done in the dark, or in a hurry.

The big advantage of a .357 revolver is that it is probably the ideal choice for first-time handgun owners. They allow you the choice of a wide selection of ammo, from mild .38 wadcutters to full-power .357 hunting rounds. Aftermarkets grips make it easier to fit the gun to your hands, and the mechanical obviousness of the design helps reduce the learning curve a bit.

There are two classic ways to shot yourself with glock - the first is to absently leave your finger on the trigger while shoving the gun back into the holster ("glock leg") and the second is to fail to clear the chamber before dismantling the gun for cleaning. The classic way to shoot yourself with a revolver is to cock the hammer, decide not to take the shot, and then fumble the now-unavoidale task of lowering the hammer manually. This is basic stuff, of course, and anyone who is well-enough trained to carry any handgun would know better than to make these sort of mistakes. I point them out now only to encourage you to find good training that leaves you confident and secure in your gunhandling skills.

BTW, my impression is that either a 10mm or .357 is quite capable of stopping a cougar, if that is a concern for you.
 
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I'm not a hiker, but assume any pack with a belt would interfere with a traditional strong side belt or IWB carry, and if you want concealability that probably rules out a drop leg or dropped offset... how about an over the shoulder "admin" bag about the size of a binocular pouch... that would ride in the appendix area, top zip for access and storage for additional equipment... my off body carry for a G23 is a JanSport bag approx 6x10
 
To me the criteria for a carry handgun is that is fits my hand,good sights,mechanically easy to understand and in a caliber I can shoot well. Of course once you get it train train and more train. I always carry a handgun when hiking usually it is a Romanian TTC with 3 mags loaded with hollow points of course. I also durabaked and put a compensator on it. If you buy a used or surplus pistol make sure the springs are good and put at least a couple hundred rounds through it. There are good handguns out there for about any budget.
 
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Get a Glock 17, so you can fill the air with lead.

If you are worried about taking your child through old drug camps, you are in a combat zone, not a campout-- go for the 9mm's with the big magazines.
 
I carry a Glock 36 in a Don Hume inside the waist band sheath.It's the smallest most powerful package I've found that I can carry concealed wearing just shorts and long T shirt.It's also comfortable enough that I can wear it all day and actually forget I've got it on.It's accurate and powerful enough to stop any threat I might face.

I've owned several carry guns over the years.The Glock 36 is IMHO still the best of the bunch.
 
In my mind, a SHTF or "living off the land" scenario is very very different from self defence on a weekend backpack trip....so really you are actually asking several very different questions. I will deal with only simple backpacking, for now....

Backpacking means you need to keep it light! Give up all the notions of fending off hoards of zombies or the Taliban in a SHTF scenario for now, what you need is a nice light little compact revolver! You need to carry concealed, so I would suggest you look into carrying in a small fanny pack that will not look at all out of place while backpacking. Read this:

http://www.keepandbeararms.com/Puckett/firstgun.pdf

http://www.unclemikes.com/products/gun_pak_pouch.html

You are worried about both 2 and 4 legged creatures, but you need to carry concealed. 4 leged creatures are going to need a powerful cartridge and a good solid load, and that means a .357 is the minimium (Oregon isn't grizzly country last I heard).

After years of trying everything, I have settled on the S&W 360SC Kit Gun for blackbear country. It is an ultralight space age J-frame with an aluminum/scandium alloy frame and titanium cylinder. The barrel is 3" long, so you get descent velocity from the cartridge. Weighs a mere 12 oz!:

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/manufacturers_id/31/products_id/26235

The 360sc is now out of production, but the 3" S&W M&P 360 is similar, but a couple ounces heavier (stainless steel cylinder, vs titanium):

http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/...57768_757767_757751_ProductDisplayErrorView_Y

If you can tolerate a little more weight and size, the S&W NightGuard series, gives you larger frames with more cartridge capacity, and also comes in .44 for more serious bear country:

http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/...4_750001_750051_757773_-1_757767_757751_image

One note....none of these lightweight concealed carry alloy revolvers are anything that you will want to take to the range and put hundreds of rounds through. They are meant to carried frequently, but seldom fired. You will be best off with an additional full size gun, for getting in lots of practice. This other gun will be better suited for home defense, as well.
 
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The downside of the spaceage S&W's I mentioned above, is that they are very expensive! If you are willing to tolerate more weight, an alternative is something like the Ruger SP101 with 3" barrel (I speak from experience after carrying one for many years!), but it weights twice as much as a J-frame....but is also half the price. The Ruger LCR .357 is quite light, but only comes with a very short barrel (which reduces the velocity of the bullet). While a 5 shot revolver may seem undergunned, remember that eveyone in my group is also armed, so we have lots of collective firepower!

I have lots of other guns (some mentioned above) that I absolutely prefer to a little J-frame, when ATV or car camping. Things like a 4" GP100 (40+ oz.), Ruger Alaskans, etc., but every one of them is to huge and heavy to ever be considered for serious backpacking!
 
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For two legged critter concerns, I just put a Kel-Tec 3AT in my pocket. It's in a Hedley pocket holster.

I'm starting to hike more in (black) bear territory, so I got these for my S&W 686.

bear-loads.jpg


SW.jpg
 
Check out a Glock 29 if you want to stay under the radar - or maybe a Glock 20 if that's not an issue.

10MM should be all you need for 2 and 4 -

S&W 310 or 610 are pretty cool too if you like the wheelies
 
One of the S&W 4" or 6" .357 (like the 686 shown) loaded with the Buffalo Bore 19A/20 exactly as pictured (it's the load Tim, the owner of BBore carries in the mountains and he's up there a lot). Those two together will make most critters stop and think and I agree with Mike Jackmin above that they'll probably end it for black bear or cougar.

I carry the S&W 619 that holds 7 rounds because I shoot it better than the 686 and honestly because I think it looks better. Loaded with the Buffalo Bore when in the Bitterroots up around here. Practice mostly with .38 specials - cheaper but be sure to get the feel for the BB's if you go that route 'cause they'll put lead in your pencil. I chose the 4" because I also use it as the home protection gun and though the 6" shoots more accurately for me, the 4" is easier to get into play. I think the Smith's worth the extra money, and the extra weight vs. the 'space age' stuff doesn't bother me and to me the .357 doesn't go with a light(er) revolver. Hurts too much.

Right up the road from you in Portland:
www.tedblockerholsters.com go to their "Products" and look at the "Mountaineer" shoulder rig. Makes the most sense for wilderness carry if you've a backpack and have to get your gun quickly. Regarding concealing it - just zip your parka/shell up. If you need the gun when you're out there, you'll probably need it quick.

Personally the drug camp thing worries me more than the animals. I hiked thirty+ years without a weapon, but as animals get more used to people and with the growing number of the two legged nuts running around I don't go into the wilderness without that .357 and the extra weight is worth it. The seven shot thing is also good to think about.

Best,
Steve
 
The compact Glocks offer a very nice combination of capacity and corrosion resistance. I've often carried a 19 or a 23 while hiking/backpacking. The Safepacker is a good way to carry.

For something a bit different, check out the Taurus Judge line of handguns. They offer good versatility.

Andy
 
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